Dinosaurs
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Where have the dinosaurs been?
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Career Stage
At home?
Past
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Sentiment
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Full Responses
Note some answers have been translated from their original language or altered by the request of the correspondent
| Tell us a short story about your background in science! Do you want to share an image or a video that represents your story as a tropical/subtropical ecologist? Go ahead! |
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| I am a biologist with a passion for ecology, plants and statistics. When I was in high school I only thought about studying a career in science. when i hold my in undergraduate in Biology. I worked for 5 years as a botanist. I visited many mega diverse places in my country, such as tropical forest, dry forest, savannahs and deserts. One day I started a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and worked with mathematical models for tropical infectious diseases. I have had to be constant in the desire to pursue the goal of being a scientist, it requires a lot of preparation and dedication. |
| I was born and raised in Colombia but MS PhD posdoc and job in the USA. I do not want to go back to Colombia. I worked for a while in Colombia but the cronyism, corruption, and violence make me leave, it is not worth it, that idea of return to your country to give back it is a huge lie and a scam. It is difficult for non US citizen to apply and compete for jobs in the USA or Europe, and it is frustrating see US citizens that only went to a tropical place for a summer to take field data, or attended and conference in a tropical country that did not even speak native language, to get jobs that more qualified non US citizens cannot apply. |
| I am from a tropical country, and very early in life decided to study something with animals. As I finished high school I entered Biology as a undergrad, but Biology was 5 yrs and a thesis at the time and place. So I took all courses and so on and went several times to the field to learn and do biology. Internet was not as extensive as today and in many areas no wifi connections or cell phones worked back then (it is still that way in several areas were I do field work today in my home country). We had to plan in advance many things, all equipment, books, gear, and so on, to solve whatever was needed; and planning carefully was partly experience, partly funds, and good problem solving with what was available, because there was no return to anyplace with those for over 20 days to several months. I was able to stay in some great places, mainly in the mountains, gather information with a small group of researchers and be fascinated and overwhelmed with biodiversity.Two little of it and its fun but you want more, and to many of it and it may be annoying. I will always remember going upstream in a cloud forest, walking inside the stream and the light becoming dimmer since dusk was coming and the mist covering all while hearing the songs and trills of birds going for their last meal, and the fist sounds of frogs starting… a magical place. I tried to do graduate studies several times, but at that time written letters was the way… and few answers came back, but no grants available. I continued doing ecology and research in the tropics, until years later was able to apply several times to foreign programs, but now through the internet and emails, so communication has been an allied as well as internet, studied ecology and evolution and graduated mixing what I had learned on natural history, ecology and evolution and field experience. I believe many ecological principles apply anywhere in the planet, but some views still on place may be different if more ecological studies are done in the tropics. |
| Most of my work has been abroad. I started in Costa Rica and then the United States. When I worked in Colombia in the field of science, it was always with short contracts, nothing stable. The only stable job was as an airport biologist for almost 5 years. My job in Costa Rica was a dream. I worked for 2 years as a field research coordinator in a Sea Turtle project. The place was spectacular and I met researchers from all over the world. |
| Since I was little I always did outdoor activities. I also had access to books with photos of animals and drawings of the different systems (respiratory, nervous, etc). I loved watching birds, especially raptors, and when I entered undergraduate biology I found a student group of birds, where I learned field techniques and bird taxonomy. Without a doubt, this student group (https://gounaves.wordpress.com/) was where I received one of the most important parts of my training, even more than many classes. Since then, I (and the members of the group) have always stood out for learning field techniques that are taught in other universities at the postgraduate level. Without a doubt, the biggest challenges in science have been in writing and using a second language. Writing and second language (English) training is very poor in my country. I have managed to overcome these barriers by paying for private English courses and an internship that I did in the United States during my undergraduate degree, where I improved my English. I have also had the guidance of very good scientists who speak English as their first language, who correct my texts and make suggestions that I am learning little by little. The best situation of being a subtropical biologist is definitely being in the field. Knowing new places, people, landscapes and animals. An adventure! Once in the Brazilian Amazon (I did my master’s degree in São Paulo) I was face to face with a jaguar less than 6 meters away. We met eye to eye and luckily the animal fled. Although it was a very dangerous moment, it was a unique experience. |
| I come from Venezuela and I always wanted to study biology. When I entered the race I was not sure which branch I would choose. Eventually I settled on ecology, and marine ecology in particular. Something that I did not expect since I did not even know how to swim when I started the race. At the end I did my thesis on seagrass meadows, and I continued my master’s degree studying coral reef diseases. I have always been fascinated by the enormous biodiversity present in even the smallest patches of an ecosystem. |
| Making the field is difficult without the help of partners. |
| As a child my imagination was totally captured by the outside world - people either bored or intimidated me. Growing up in (almost always sunny) South Africa where year round outdoor exploring is very much the order of business only helped re-enforce this. As I grew older the idea of working in a ‘normal’ job was possibly the most unappealing idea - mostly because even now I don’t actually know what a ‘normal’ job entails and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. I knew one thing though and that was that future Tanya needed to work with the natural world in some capacity and not need to have an office mandated dress code. Biology was the natural direction to go into and I can still recall the exact first year botany lecture in which I decided that ecology was what got me really excited. Specifically interactions between species and then just getting absolutely blown away thinking about all the layers that there was to this. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to do my Masters abroad in cold, dark (NEVER sunny) Sweden. But let me tell you I missed home, Africa home that is, A LOT, although I did learn a lot and I think it is also what precipitated the (dare I say it) audacity of me to apply for a PhD program in Canada (even further from home but hopefully a bit more sunny). The decision to study far from home is something that, to this day, I think about a lot. There are a whole host of thoughts that run through my head regarding this. One of them is that I think its easy to fall into this idea that the grass is greener at some institutions/countries and that it gives you a chance to sit at the ‘cool kids’ table. There is probably some truth to this but having to leave the place that that moulded and shaped me into the scientist I am now in order to further my training to become a ‘better’ scientist doesn’t always sit well with me. |
| “How did I start? I was born in a rural area in Colombia, surrounded by a lot of countryside !! I liked nature but …! I did not know that you could be a scientist! I thought it was very far from our reality and also difficult, besides I did not know anyone who was. So now it seems important to instill the girls or talk to them that they can be scientists if they want to and the importance of giving visibility to the scientists who work in this part of the world and that they do a wonderful job. Then, after a few difficulties, I entered a public university in the Biology program, while I was in my degree, I joined a research group and it all began there. Difficulties? Many, from the beginning of my process as a researcher, I believe that the main difficulty is funding. Since I was an undergraduate student with some classmates, we started with small research projects that went ahead thanks to everyone’s creativity and enthusiasm because they were totally self-financed projects. After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I started master’s studies; and since in my country there is no scholarship system for postgraduate studies, I had to work to pay for my studies. Graduate school and my thesis required full time; I had to manage to study and work at the same time, something that has been very difficult for me. So when I finish my master I want to sleep a lot! I work in the high Andean forest and that forest is my greatest inspiration to never give up despite the difficulties … Being a researcher in a tropical region is truly a privilege: the complexity of these ecosystems, the marvel of landscapes, an amazing biodiversity that never ceases to amaze and everything there is to investigate, conserve and protect! Finally, and in my case, I consider that Colombia is the best country to do research, but being a researcher here is a great challenge, mainly in terms of funding and job opportunities.” |
| My Master’s studies and currently doctorate, I do both outside my country: Ecuador. Basically because there were no graduate programs related to biological sciences. Gradually that is changing and it is nice to know that more and more people are taking an interest in them, but it is not an easy road. Accessing studies abroad is difficult, especially if you do not have sufficient financial resources. When you finally get access to one of these programs, you begin to understand that academia, like many other areas of society, is also full of stereotypes, discrimination and sexism. For me, as a Latino woman, it has been hard to understand, and painful to know that many actions even I myself did contribute to reinforce those stereotypes that I am currently striving to combat. I study evolutionary biology, and although my branch is full of talented scientists, it is also usually filled with men from countries in the northern hemisphere. I dream and want to support a present and a future where science is more accessible to everyone, especially girls. I want them to feel motivated to be scientists and, through science, to contribute to creating a more just and diverse world. |
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"I have two stories to tell, I start with the worst story in my academic training: During my academic training I made a lot of effort, especially in the areas of molecular biology because, well "" they are the filter to be good biologists "“. When I lacked a semester to finish the degree, a teacher exercised academic harassment on me, the reason for her academic harassment: I had demanded better training and fair grades in a subject in the area of molecular biology and genetics. Since that claim, there was no way that I could pass the subject of Population Genetics, even if the teacher was not the main teacher and was only the supervisor of the subject. I remember that once in her office she told me that I should leave the career, that my mediocre head did not give for a scientific career, that would be better if I stop wasting others time and mine, that I was never going to be a scientist in my life, that I could go to other careers that won’t need so much mental effort. I got to the point of deciding to give up with the career, because I was repeating the subject for 2 years, no matter what I did, although I deserved to pass that subject, I always failed; that teacher always found a way to fail me. My goodbye to biology was the Peruvian ornithology congress in 2018; It was very hard for me to make that decision, I did not know a world outside of biology, I did not see myself practicing any profession other than being a biologist. After the congress I took a course of Population Genetics, although I already knew that there was nothing in the world that I loved more than biology, at that moment I realized that I would have to fight against everything and everyone to be a biologist, and even though I had been failing a subject in the molecular area for a long time, I knew I could be good in that area. I returned to Bolivia and enrolled again in the Biology career, I took the same subject, I had an excellent grade, higher than 80/100, the teacher seeing that there was no way to fail me only said:”" This 80 is too much for you "", annulled complete reports, to lower my grade, despite these injustices I managed to pass that subject and finally obtain the degree. and here is my best story in Biology: I was a field assistant to a PhD applicant, who would later become my thesis tutor and life mentor. I remember that I was in charge of recording the sounds that we heard (And yes, then I ended up working with bioacoustics), in our transect we felt that in a ravine something was looking at us every time we passed, we continued with our normal work. The next day the same, in that ravine we felt that there was something watching us. As we did not hear sounds, I decided to take a photo of a spider web in the middle of the road, when I finished taking the photo I turned and my thesis tutor was no longer there !! I panicked. When in the middle of the plants that covered the road (they made like a little tunnel) I heard the voice of my tutor very soft saying my name. I started down the path almost running when she says again: Look !. And I only heard a thunderous scream (for me at that time it was a jaguar) that left me stunned, when I manage to turn around they pass 10 centimeters from me, or well I felt it almost 10 cm. above my head, a pair of Cyanolyca viridicyana. At that moment, in between being on the Sillutinkara trail, my thesis tutor, the Cyanolycas, my career as a biologist gave the "" Glow up "" or jump, there I was aware that I was training to be a biologist, that’s when I realized that there was nothing I loved more than biology. It was the best moment of my life, during my career. " |
| I am interested in nature because my peasant grandmother always took me closer to country life. I grew up barefoot playing on the edges of the tropical forest. It was difficult to come from a public school because, in my country, Costa Rica, science education is not practical at all, I did not know what was a laboratory or that a biology career involved so much mathematics. I didn’t have put so much effort into the study until I went to university; I think that was the most difficult part of my degree, and also what I appreciate the most. It makes me learn about discipline, although it would be great if it wasn’t so painful. I have many great occasions in which I appreciate doing Latin science, I rescue the wit that arises from the need and the joy of being able to see the flora and fauna in its maximum splendor so many times. |
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Soy ecuatoriano, y desde pequeño me he interesado por la diversidad de plantas y animales que conocí. Crecer en la costa del Ecuador es maravilloso, con el océano y el bosque tropical seco. Mi familia siempre ha sido amante de los viajes y la naturaleza. De niño y adolescente, acampábamos en la playa y podíamos explorar el bosque húmedo de la montaña cuando visitábamos el pueblo de mis abuelos paternos, San Lorenzo en Manabí. Este cariño por la naturaleza y los animales me llevó a estudiar biología como carrera. Específicamente estoy interesado en la evolución y adaptabilidad de las especies a su entorno. Desde el inicio, mis estudios han estado llenos de desafíos. Tuve que mudarme a otra ciudad porque en la mía no tenían la carrera que anhelaba. Después, el desafío principal fue la búsqueda de oportunidades fuera del país. La preparación, determinación, el estudiar otro idioma, el tener que dejar familia y amigos atrás por poder tener la oportunidad de especializarme en aquello que se había convertido en mi sueño. Son desafíos que siempre estarán presentes. Hice mi maestría en Estados Unidos. Fue una experiencia de más de un año de preparación. Pues tuve que aplicar a becas para poder tener financiamiento y prepararme en el idioma inglés. Afortunadamente, mi supervisor de la maestría, quien también es de Ecuador, me alentó durante todo el proceso. Finalmente, pude trabajar con él durante dos años. Durante este tiempo él me comentó que muchas veces que las oportunidades están fuera del país, pero que siempre se puede hacer algo por Ecuador, así sea de lejos. Su manera de ayudar era ofreciendo oportunidades a estudiantes ecuatorianos como yo de hacer estudios de postgrado. Y con ese consejo regresé al Ecuador, luego de mi maestría, a trabajar como docente. Fui afortunado de trabajar como docente en la universidad donde había realizado mis estudios de pregrado. Aprendí mucho de otros profesores. Mis intereses sobre evolución me llevaron a colaborar en proyectos de filogenia de virus de RNA, donde aprendí métodos básicos de bioinformática y filogeografía. La docencia es una tradición familiar, mi madre, mi abuela, tíos y tías son docentes también. Me sentí orgulloso de poder dar clases. Y durante el tiempo que estuve trabajando, me di cuenta de la importancia de esta labor. Quería que mis clases fueran como a mí me hubiese gustado recibirlas, y la respuesta de los estudiantes fue muy buena, tanto que, aunque dejé de dar clases luego de dos años para seguir mi doctorado, sigo en contacto con muchos de aquellos alumnos, que ahora también hacen sus postgrados. Cuando empecé a buscar doctorados, mientras trabajaba en Ecuador me di cuenta de la importancia de hacer investigación dentro del país. En un principio quería seguir trabajando con peces, pero se presentó una oportunidad de trabajar con plantas en las Islas Galápagos. Actualmente estoy, viviendo en Montreal, Canadá, en mi 4to año de doctorado y a pesar de haber tenido que cambiar de sistema de estudio, y nuevamente mudarme a otro país, me siento orgulloso de poder seguir haciendo investigación en mi propio país a pesar de estar lejos. Fotos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F9MqZUwfcCuWPKSUmaJ6_bcWxK9rCkUE?usp=sharing |
| Este es el formulario correcto. Tengo dos historias que compartir, la primera es el mejor momento en mi carrera: Estaba como en segundo año de la licenciatura, me había apuntado de voluntaria para la colecta de datos de una tesis de doctorado con quien posteriormente sería mi tutora de tesis y mi mentora. Estábamos haciendo nuestros recorridos grabando aves, pasábamos por una quebrada llena de vegetación, cada vez que pasábamos por esa quebrada teníamos la sensación de que alguien nos observaba. En una de las muchas veces que teníamos que pasar por esa quebrada, no escuchábamos muchas aves así que aproveché el momento y me quedé a fotografiar una telaraña, cuando me volteé no encontré a mi tutora. A los segundos, escuché la vos de mi tutora diciendo mi nombre muy suave, entonces me apresuré y bajé casi corriendo el sendero hasta esa quebrada que nos ponía tan incómodas. Cuando llegué y vi a mi tutora ella me dijo: -¡Mira!, y me señaló justo detrás hacia la quebrada, el momento en que giré para observar lo que señalaba, escuché un grito muy fuerte (en ese momento juraba que era el rugido de un jaguar) y vi pasar a pocos centímetros de distancia (o bueno, yo los sentí a 10 cm. de distancia) una pareja de Cyanolyca viridicyana. Desperté del asombro y ahí mientras mi tutora observaba a las Cyanolycas, ahí en medio del sendero más hermoso de Yungas y ahí en frente de esas hermosas aves,es que caí en cuenta de que en verdad estaba estudiando ciencias, estaba estudiando biología y no había nada en el mundo que pudiera amar más que el ser bióloga. La segunda historia fue el peor momento que pasé en mi carrera y prefiero mantener anonimato de las personas involucradas. Yo me encontraba en ultimo año de la licenciatura. Había reclamado una calificación más justa y mejor formación académica de una docente interina del área de Biología Molecular y Genética. Ese reclamo me costó mucho. La docente principal y la interina de la materia sobre la que reclamé, empezaron a ejercer acoso académico sobre mi. No importaba cuánto me esforzara o cuan correcto había hecho mi examen, siempre reprobaba. Recuerdo cuando en su oficina la docente principal de materia me dijo que yo jamás sería científica, que jamás sería bióloga, que el mundo de las ciencias es para gente capaz y no para gente con la mente mediocre como yo. Yo sólo podía llorar, pero sus insultos no paraban y en ese momento yo no lo veía como insulto, lo veía como una gran crítica de alguien muy respetada o temida dentro de la carrera. Me destruyó académica, física y emocionalmente. No dormía más de 3 horas al día, sólo me dedicaba a estudiar esa materia, que era la única que me faltaba para terminar mi licenciatura. Recuerdo que en un examen la docente principal de materia me quitó las hojas del examen y se puso a revisarlas frente a todos, luego me las devolvió y me dijo: “Quería comprobar si no estabas haciendo trampa, esa es la única forma en la que puedas aprobar”, no pude seguir con el examen, sólo puse mi nombre, deje todo a medias, se lo entregué y salí llorando del aula. Después de reprobar esa materia tres veces, decidí abandonar la carrera de Biología, fue la decisión más dolorosa que yo había tomado. Para despedirme de la Biología viajé al Congreso Peruano de Ornitología en el 2018 y tomé un curso post-congreso, cuando terminé el curso y casi un mes fuera de Bolivia, me di cuenta que realmente era buena haciendo ciencia y no podía renunciar, volví a matricularme en Biología. Luche con garras y dientes por cada `punto para pasar esa materia, leia el triple y me esforzaba como nadie. Obtuve una calificación de 80/100, pero la docente me dijo: “80 es demasiado para ti” y me anulo algunas preguntas e informes, aún así pasé no con una nota justa pero pasé. Ningún estudiante debería pasar por esto, ningún estudiante debería ser tan humillado, sólo porque hay docentes “duros”. No fue justo, no soy una buena bióloga por lo que pasé, soy muy buena bióloga pese a lo que ella me hizo. |
Present
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Sentiment
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Full Responses
Note some answers have been translated from their original language or altered by the request of the correspondent
| What advice would you give your past-self or a young researcher from your country? |
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| There is no easy path, all of them require maximum effort. You must try so many times until you get it right. You should never give up on your dreams, mistakes make us gain experience. Making mistakes is not a mistake, it is just part of the trials, without mistakes there are no successes. |
| Leave the country and do not come back. Get another citizenship. |
| Read more on natural history and ecological models and have a broad perspective and don’t believe everything you read or see. Test for yourself whenever possible what seems known and try to find a new way to ask what has been done using all tools available, since many new become available over time. |
| The first thing you have to learn is to speak English, it is essential to be able to access information, courses and better jobs. Secondly, you should think of at least doing a master’s degree. In Colombia it is expensive to study, but abroad there are many scholarships and ways to cover expenses. |
| When birding, pay attention to the songs. Buy a sound recorder before a camera. Get organized with the data you collect and try to process it as soon as possible. Study English and practice writing. Learn to use R. |
| Be persevering through obstacles, however, also reflect on your plans for the future. |
| Give up if the project doesn’t suit you. |
| That’s tough - I don’t want to tell them that they need to study abroad if they want to study abroad. But at the same time given the current climate at home I cannot deny that there are more opportunities abroad… But I think it is important to remember that your work matters and is awesome and cool - no matter where you are situated and that you belong at the cool kids table. This means you shouldn’t be scared to dream, or to reach out to other researchers no matter how ‘small’ you feel. ANd just because you are ‘working from home’ doesn’t mean you cannot collaborate, work with (and maybe even) visit other researchers! Also (more practically) twitter is a great resource for learning about opportunities as well as sharing your work with the world! |
| Persist, insist, and never give up. Do not be afraid to apply to opportunities that arise and work in collaboration with scientists from other parts of the world, expand networks, do not be afraid of that either. |
| Persevere, don’t give up. Although the road is difficult, you can, because you are great, you are capable, you are valuable for trying every day. |
| The degree is not all Biology, get out there, meet more people outside of your teachers and let no one mediocre tell you whether or not you should continue in this career. Shine and help others shine |
| Getting involved in research projects from the beginning of my career, not forgetting that regardless of my origin I have right to be a scientist, my knowledge is valuable for science, as well as that of the students of the best universities in the world. |
| No seas duro contigo mismo. Inspirarse de los logros de otras personas, no tener miedo a pedir ayuda y también estar orgulloso de lo que haces. |
| LA biología va más allá de una carrera, asiste a todos los congresos que puedas asistir, a todos los cursos que logres ir y jamás te conviertas en una mala persona. Para ser buen científico primero debes ser buena persona. |
Future
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Sentiment
Sentiment - remixed
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Full Responses
Note some answers have been translated from their original language or altered by the request of the correspondent
| Describe your dream of the future as a tropical scientist in a tweet (up to 280 characters). |
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| The science is overwhelming and can be innoptic at first. Just focus and stay on the path until the ideas are illuminated and the concepts are clear. |
| Senior scientists in a NGO or foundation or organization or society |
| New discovery on the way organisms live!!!! they seem to sense and bet more often on the future according to there past experience. Follow up in 20 years. |
| My scientific dream is to be able to use evolutionary biology tools in the conservation of species, in addition to using science to connect communities and the decisions of the government. |
| Have access to a laboratory equipped in a University where you can research and train new generations |
| Doubts |
| Cool kids table goes global! All researchers and students are welcome to be a part of the bigger conversation |
| My dream as a tropical scientist is that my country not only be the best place to do research, but also be the best place to be a researcher (better study and work opportunities, so as not to have to think about the option of emigrating :() |
| Science accessible to everyone, anywhere in the world. |
| To have my own institute, with a lot of money to pay thesis of all levels, to finance research projects and to employ all the young unemployed and bright biologists in Bolivia |
| Be able to understand properly the way to make the restoration of tropical ecosystems, to develop participatory restoration processes where other girls also dream of living their entire lives learning and enjoying nature. |
| Hacer conocer el trabajo de la ciencia tropical en nuestros propios países. Saber que nuestra diversidad es única, muy valiosa y siempre la tenemos cerca. Hacerla conocer para sea apreciada y amada de mejor manera. |
| Tener mi propio instituto, con mucho dinero para becas, cursos, congresos. Que pueda emplear a los biólogos jóvenes de mi país y producir el mejor conocimiento académico |